Empire State of Mind!

Well it’s been a while, almost a month I know! I’m sorry I’ve been MIA for such a long time, but really I have just been in a funk and haven’t had much commentary for you all, but I am back in action now with a couple “firsts” and just some general thoughts.

OMG the BEST first experience I have had so far… MARIAH CAREY on the TODAY show. Now ya’ll know I love some Mariah. I will do almost anything to see her (including take a morning off work). So I got up at 5am on Oct. 2nd (I like to think she performed for me because she knew my birthday was coming up soon). I was on the train at 545am. At 6:40 I walked into Rockefeller center and heard the angelic voice of Mimi coming out to do her warm-ups! I rushed into the crowd (yes the crowd was deep at 6:45am although she was not slated to perform until 8:30am on air) and she gave it her everything. Those high notes. Five songs. Best. Morning. Ever. Oh and to top it off, on my way to see Mariah, Jay Z and Alicia Keys were filming Empire State of Mind, the video, in Times Square. Maybe things are looking up around here ;) Moving along to the rest of the weekend…

Finally, I had my first out of state visitor this weekend! My mommy came to see me for my birthday (Oct. 5th- go me! I am 25 now). She came on Saturday morning. It was my first time driving to LaGuardia Airport--airports are horrendous as it is, but this one was actually not that bad since it doesn’t have many companies flying into it. Okay, so she arrived at 8:20am, early, but good because there was not so much traffic. I get to the airport in less than 15 minutes, which in and of itself is a miracle. It is only 5 miles away from my dorm (which in Midwest land 5 miles= 5 minutes, but not here in hell, I mean Queens). Of course, when I got to the airport, I had a few issues.

There are five parking lots at the airport and three terminals, Delta, United Airways, and the Central terminal. Of course, my mom was flying into the central terminal, the hardest one to access. So I park in a short term lot. I walk inside, thinking I am going to get on a walkway or an escalator thingy to get over to the terminal. Wrong. I had to take a bus to get to the terminal. And when I say “bus” I am talking a legit city bus that loops around the airport. Seriously? They could not spring for an inter-terminal tram like every other major airport in life? Oh Right, this airport was built in 1920 like the rest of NY. So, I guess that’s an excuse for it to be dirty and ghetto all the time, but whatever, I digress. So after taking yet another bus trip in my miserable life, I met my mom in the baggage claim of the terminal. Finally, someone who understands me! When she heard about taking the bus back to my car she just laughed and patted me. Thanks, Mom.

Along to another first for the weekend…My mom was here so I was feeling very bold and empowered this weekend because I actually know more about getting around here than someone else (this is not something I am used to here in my new locale). So.. after being disgusted and frustrated and irritated from riding public transportation for hours to go less than a total of 5 miles, my mom said, “Why don’t you just pay to park in the city, you make enough.” I just looked kind of sideways at her and thought about it. And yes, parking in the city is AWFUL and EXPENSIVE when you go during the week and rush hours and etc. But, it was a Sunday so my mom figured we should try it. I was more than apprehensive. My guts were in a roar, but I took my antacid and decided we would try it.

Fifteen minutes later I was pulling into a Valet parking garage on West 40th and dropping 20 bucks for the remainder of the day (we got there around 130pm). And so now I guess I will be going into the city only at night and on Sundays..lol. It was almost too easy. In fact, I am still waiting for something to go wrong with it today (I know there is a risk of traffic, but it’s a risk I will take to avoid an incredibly germ encroached bus and train ride)! Wait, is that another POSITIVE “first” experience? Wow. Even I am taken aback. Once again, thanks Mom.

Well, I guess that’s not all. I had one other positive first experience a few weeks ago—before Mimi and Mommy. I went out with my Sorors to a birthday party. It was actually fun and it was at a lounge in, gasp, Queens. It was called “Hush.” They have a Web site so you can look it up if you don’t believe it was nice and in Queens (I mean if I were the reader of this blog, I would need evidence of its niceness too..lol). It was a really fun time, but unfortunately it happened a while ago so I am struggling to recall the details of it. But know this, I have not been back, I wasted a dress as there were about 7 men there and 3.5 of them had white tennis shoes on in a lounge. That left about 4, which 2 of them were already attached and for the other ones, well we all know the saying about how men are like parking spaces, all the good men are taken except, well you know the rest. But, I did meet some nice Sorors and by meet I mean exchange screams in between the beats bumping over the speakers. A good time, but it’s been overshadowed by my current depression settling in as the winter approaches and I realize I am about to embark on another holiday season alone- yet again. I digress.

There's more I'd like to say, but I am too tired to write more. Plus I need to vent but I am not ready to talk about that yet.. more to come later lovers!

C.

ps. Lady GaGa gives me EVERYTHING I NEED!